Automobile-elevating device.



W. C. BELLOWS. AUIDMOB'LE [LEVATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. l8. 1915.

Patented Flew. 6, 191?.

3 SHEET-SHEET 1.

W. C. BELLOWS. AUTOMOBILE ELEVA'HNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. {8. 1915- Patentnad Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w. c. amows; AUIOMOBILE ELEVATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FllED OCT. 18. I915- Pamnted Nov. 6; 1917.

a SHEETS-SHE a.

pointedout; in the ap The, object of the invention is to provide a l6 may be exercise ofbut'a slight effort on the partot I automobile is greatly I) and S Fig. 2 is a similar view,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER C. BELLOWS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONEHALF TO CARRIE G. C.

MGKNIGHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

I AUTOMOBILE-ELEVATING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, WALTER CfBunnows, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Elevating'Devices; and I do hereby declare that the 0 lowing is a fu1l,'el ear, andexact-description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. V

isinvent on relates to an automobile elevatin device and consists'of the matters hereina ter' described and more particularly pended claims.

device ,to be attached to an automobile by means of which the automobile may be eleelevated position'upon a firm base, thereby relievifi the tires of the wei lit-of, the machine. e device .is'o eratfi by the auto mobile itself-to elevate t e automobile which lowered'to the ground again by the the driver.

r The" device means of which preferably includes a lock by the automobile may be 50 locked in its elevated pErsition, thus preventing {the possibility of pit of the machine. It will be apparntiihatwhen in the elevated position, repairing? limping up or renewal of tires, washing, oi ing and testing of the facilitated. Other objects and advantages will appear as Ipro ceed with my specificatiom. a

In the drawin ':A Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation partly in section, of an automobile chassis to which my elevating device is attached, the parts-forming said device being shown in the position they assume when the wheels of the automobile rest upon the ground.

illustrating the parts forming my elevating device in the position they assume when the device as a whgliz has been operated to elevate the automo 1 e.

automobile chassis provided with the improved elevating device.

Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale through the chassis in a plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig- 3.

Specification 6i Letters Patent.

vated a short distance and maintained in an Fig! 3 is aview in plan elevation of the member 17 is engaged and Fig. 5 is a similar view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is-a detail sectional view to be. more specifically referred to later, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 3. i

Fi 7 is a similar View with the parts in changed relation.

4 8. is a view in side elevation on an enlarge'tscale offiue of the pedestals forming a part of my iirrention,

Referringlnow in detail to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings :10 indicates the frame of an automobile, usual longitudinally extendin side members 11 and'transvcrse connecting members 12, 12. Said .frame is mounted u on the front and rear axles 13 and 14 and t 5 asso which comprises the" Patented N ov. 6, 1917. Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,375.

ciated wheels 13, 14", through the medium 1n a manner well known.

of springs 13 14*, I

the pedestal members of 15, 16, indicate the elevating device. are made of sufliciently rigid construction to provide a stable support for the automobile when in the elevated position As illustrated 1n the drawings (see Figs. 3), there is pro-- ,vided apair 'of said pedestals for each axle, each pedestal being attached to the axle at a point near the side of the frame 10.

As the construction of each of the pedestals 15, 16, is substantially the same, a description in detail of one of. said pedestals will suflicc' for all. Each pedestal, in

the embodiment: of the invention shown in the drawings, includes a clamping member 17, by means of which the main body or 1:3

part of the pedestal is removably attach to the-axle. The leg member 18 is pivotally connected to the clamping member at 19 in the manner of a knee joint Fig. 8). The clamping member 17 is made in two parts-17', 17", which are constructed to emrace the axle and are cla'm ed together about the axle by bolts 17. iach part 17 has a depending apertured ear 17 and a forwardly projecting lug 17', which is located substantially in the plane of the. axis of the aperture in said ear. The leg member 18 is provided at its top with laterally spaced, apertured ears of lugs 18, between which the ear 17' held by a pin or bolt 19 that extends through the aper- Said pedestal members,

the bottom of of the clampby As illustrated; the links 25 are each pivotally attached at one end to ears 18 formed that isto say, the left as tures in said. ears. The ears 18 are extended forwardly to form a lug 9r stop 18 wh ch abuts against and coacts with the extension 17 before referred to, so as to stop a further forward swinging moveinient of the lower leg part 18' when .the same is in the position indicated in' 8, which is Just a-short angular distance'in front of a per-' pendicular. line passin through the axis of the joint 19 as mated by the dotted line 20. The leg member- .18 is' provided at its bottom wit a recesfied-ioot 21, which terminates in a forwardl' extending, up wardly turned'toe part'flg. 'In the recessof the foot 21 is mounted an antifrieticn ole-- A ment 2-3,'said element and the toe part form- 'ing' in effect a cam having its shortest radial length on a radial line extending through the axis pin 19' and toe 22. The-leg parts 18 of each pair of pedestals are connected together by means of transversely extending rods 24-. The toe parts of all the pedestals are roughened to" provide frictionsurfaces. (See Fig/9.)

tion that the leg part 18 is linjited in its forward sf in'gingmovement about the axis pin 19 by the "engagement of the extension Elgs 3-1 '3 1'1t may be swung rearwardly, v ewed. in Fig.

8, aswill presently appear.

- 25, 26, indicate forwardly and ma extending pairsof links or rods. which-tare operatively connected at one end to-theiregir and front-fpdestals 16 and 15 on the forward bottom end of the pedestals 16 adjacent the toe thereof and each of .the'

links 26 is operatively attached to the rod 24 bymeans of adjustable coupling devices, 26", 26", adjacent each front .pedestal 15 which it connects together. The rods 25 extend toward the tram verse median line of the frame '10, where they are each provided with a head piece 25, which is capable of an endwise ad ustment relative 'to the. associated rod. Said head pieces-areeach connected by pins 27,to the ends of fork arms 27 rigidly attached to a transverse rock shaft 28 near its ends. The rods 26 likewise extend 'towardthe said arms 27 to which they are attached intermediate the ends thereofby means of pins 27 h The said rock shaft '28- is journaled in suitablebearing' brackets attached. to the side frame members 11. It is apparent from. the fore oing description that t ends 25, 26, are or justa-ble inlength, this construction being provided in case the front/and rear axles 13 and 14 respectively of the car to which the device is attached, are not exactly parallel,

owing either. to accident or faulty construction. Each head piece 25 is provided at that end WhlCh is connected to the associated It is apparent from the foregoing descripfork arm 27, with aslot, 25, the purpose the Wheels of "the auton'lobilc arc resting on the ground), the lever pluhod in a'horizontal position and extends forwardly along the floor 30 of the automobile.

The free-end of said lever bent upwardly to provide a hand hold 29 which normally raised above the foot board 30. Said lever has a laterally extending pin 31, which is engaged under a foot-operated spring latch 32, projecting above the foot board 30. This latch is supported upon any fixed part of the automobile body and as is illustratedin this instance, is attached to the crank case of the motor 33.

latcl 3'2 thus maintains the pedestals in raised position.

' The operation of the parts thus for described is asfollows: Assuming thatlthe automobile to which my improved elevating device is'attached has been stopped in'its ,travel, and the driver desiresto elevate it.

The driver (without stopping the engine, if it is running), first releases the foot latch 32 from its engagement with the pin 31 on the operating lever 29. Gravity will cause the pedestals to drop and with them the links .25, 26,:md the rock arms 27, to which said links are connected. The length of the links '26 and the length of the links 25 from their pivotal connection at their rear'ends with the rear pedestals 18 tothe rear ends of the slots 25 at their forward ends, are so dosigned'iu proportion, that when the pedes tals thus drop, the toe part 22 of the front pedestals only will strike the ground while The spring the toepart's of the roar pedestals will be .arrested'shortly above the ground, as illustrated in Fig. 1.- The'pedestals are now in position to elevate the car. The driver now throws in the reverse gear and backs up the car. The friction of the toe parts of the cams at the bottom ends of the pedestals on the ground prevent said ends from moving as the car moves, \vith the result that the car body is swung about the pivotal connection of said pedestal with the axles, up on the pedestals so as to e10 vate the car.. As the rear pedestals do not engage the ground at the beginning of the backing. up movement of the car, the-rear wheels of the car are still engaged with the grounch so as to provide the necessary traction to start and impart snliicient momentum to the car to carry it up on the pedestals. Just as the pedestals are swungloward their final position illustrated 1n. full. lines in l the anti-frie locked position.

tion wheels come into contact with the ground and act to relieve the shock due to the sudden stopping of the car in elevated position, said anti-friction wheels permitting the momentum of the car to be lost in a small rearward movement on-the antifriction wheels. The car is then-supported on the elevating device and rests upon a firm base provided by the four pedestals.

When it is again desired to lowerthe car, the operator grasps the handle 29" and swings the lever 29 forward; This has no effect onthe rear pedestals in the first instance, since the pins?! simply slide in the slots of the links connected to saidpedestals. The pedestals on the front axle, 15, however, are drawn rearwardly until-they pass the vertical position 20, when the weight of the car swings'the front wheels -to the ground. In this movement the pins 27' first slide to the rear ends of the slots 25. This movement is without effect until they strike -said rear-ends, when the swingin movement of the front pedestals, under t e fallin' momentum ''of the car, force the rearpe estalsito swing from their supporting position below the axle. The parts are now approximately in the positions shown inotted lines in-Fig. 1. is only required then .tolift the pedestals to their normal position, which is easily done by swinging the lever 29 to its initial The automobile maybe vated= position shown in Fig. 2, by any suit able device, as, for example, the following. Fixed to the operatin lever 29 near its' hand hold 29 is a lug or g'tent 29" which, when the said lever is in the position shownin 1 Fig.2, (wherein. the pedestals are in their upright position) is adapted tocoact with i a Inc 40 fixed at the junction of the heel and seatboards 41, 42, respectively. Said lock is preferably of the spring catch type so that when the lever 29 is moved into the upright position as shown in said figure under the action of the elevati pedestals, the detent 29 will enter into sa d lock and be held thereby until released by the'operator of the automobile, by means of a key o -Tother controlling device. This lock is protected or covered by the seat cushion 43 and in no manner is the operator inconvenienced thereby. I

The locking of the lever 29 by the locking pin 40 is thus automatic for the reason that as the-car is elevated upon its connecting links 25 and 26 will cause the u'ms 21120 swing about the shaft 28 as an axis, said shaft carrying with it the lever 29, to the left as is illustrated in Fig. 6), when ;he detent 29 thereon will enter the lock and ye held thereby.

It is apparent that my improved elevating levice possesses many advantages. Thus 'locked in the eledestal, the

when a car is not in use, the tires are relieved of its weight. This is advantageous especially when tires are semi-inflated, for when carrying a dead load in this bondition, the tire-fabric is weakened and the rubber will lose its resiliency. A tire s0 weakened is the more apt to blow out. My improved elevating device will automatically elevate and hold the automobile in the elevated position with its tires free from the ground when at-a standstill as readily on a street as in a garage. It may be locked in this elevated position upon a base of stability and firmness and cannot be moved until unlocked, which prevents theft. It is easily attached to any automobile and especially is advantageous when repairing the car or for any other reason.

When an automobile to which'the device] is applied is inan elevated position the tires are kept free from the oii, grease and alkali generally-,'-found upon garage fioors, which "alt actas agents of, destruction for tires; Again, when inflating the tires, the operator .need not pump up the entire weight of the. machine as when the wheels are on the ground. It also facilitates the placing of anti-skid chains upon tires. The pedestals, when in the position indicated byJdotted lines in 1, may be used 'as a drag'brake when moving forwardly and also as a rear brake when'upon dangerous inclines and hills."

These and other advantages will be familiar to the users of automobiles. describing the form of the invention;

ldls'illustrated herein, -it has been stated-that -ki 1pon release of the main operating lever 29, tithe front and rear pedestals 15 and lfifw'ou'ld .swingforwardly and downwardly with the front pedestals 15 reaching the ground in advance of the rear pedestals. By adjusting the length of the links 25 through the means hereinbefore mentioned the rear pedestals 16 may be made to reach or engage with the ground at the same time as the front pedestals do. Under such conditions, the said rear pedestals -when engaged with a the ground, may be used as a spra brake and also as a means for resisting ski ding of the automobile when -making turns upon slip-' pery roads or. pavements. I

' While in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of. construction and arrangement, it is to be understood that the invention is to be in no way limited .therehy except as may be pointed o ut the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. An elevating device for wheeled-vehicles, in combination with a frame, front and rear pedestals connected in pairs near the means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals, an operating member is made capable of limited movement indepcndcntly of the other pair, and means for locking said operating member when the pedestals are in raisedposition.

21in elevating device for wheeled vehicles, in combination with a frame, front and rear pedestals, connected in pairs near the four corners of said frame, each pedestal being hinged to swing longitudinally of the frame from a substantially horizontal posi' tion to a substantially vertical position, each pedestal being rovitled with a cam at its bottom end, which includes an 'anti' friction roller, means limiting the said swinging .movementofysaid. pedestals, a rock arm.-

moun'ted-bn 'said frame intermediate said pairs of pair of pe estals with said rock arm,-the link connection forthe rear 'pair of pedestals including a lost motion device,-whereby the rear. pair of pedestals is made capable of limited movement independently of the front pair, a lever arm for operating said rock arm, and'mans for lockm said lever arm with the pedestals in raised position.

3. An elevating device for wheeled vehicles, in combination with a frame, front and rear pedestals connectediin pairs near the four corners of said frame, each pedestal being hinged to swing longitudinally of the framefrom a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals, a rock shaft mounted on said frame intermediate said pairs of pedes tals, a rock arm on said rockshaftassociated with each front and rear pedestal at one sideof the frame, links'connecting each pedestal with the associated rock arm, the links connecting one air of pedestals with the rock arms inclu ing means providing lost motion. between-the pedestals and the rock arms, while the links-connecting the other pair of pedestals with the rock arms prevent such motion, an operating lever fixed to said rock shaft, and means :for locking said lever in position with the pedestals in raised position. i

4. An elevating device for wheeled vehicles, in combination with a frame, front and rear pedestals connected in pairs near the four corners of said frame, each pedestal being hinged, to swing longitudinally of the frame from asubstantially horizontal. position to a substantially vertical position, each pedestalbeing provided with a cam at its bottom end, which includes an anti-friction roller, means limiting the said swinging edestals, links connecting each to' said rock shaft, means for movement of said pedesta.ls, an operating member mounted in said vehicle, means con- 'necting each of the two pairsof pedestals -with. said operating member, the connecting means for one pair of pedestals including a lost motion device, while the connecting. means for the other pair of pedestals prepedestals in their i being hinged .to swing longitudinally of the framefrom a substantially horizontal position to i a substantially vertical position, means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals, a rock arm mounted on said frame intermediate said pairs of pedestals, links connecting each pair of pedestals with 'saidrock arm, the link connection for one pair of pedestals includ-- ing a lost motion device, while the link connection for the other pair of pedestals'p'revents lost motion, a lever arm for operating said rock arm, means for locking said lever arm with the pedestals'inraised position,

and a key controlled locking device forauto} matically locking said-elevating device with the pedestals in their verticalpositi'on 6.. Anelevating device for' wheeled ye hicles, in combination with a frame, front and rear pedestals connected in palrs near the four corners ofsaid frame, each pedestal being-hinged to swing longitudinally of v I I .-tne frame from a substantially horizonal position. to a substantially vertical position,

means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals; a rock shaft mounted on said frame intermediatesa'id pairs of ped cstals, a rock arm on said rock shaft associated with each front and rear pedestal'at one side of the frame, links connecting each pedestal with the associated rock arm, the

links connecting one pair of pedestals with,

the rock arms including means providing lost motion between the pedestals and the rock arms. while the links connecting the other pair of pedestals with the rock arms prevent lost motion between the pedestals and the rock arms, an opcratin lever fixed locking said lever in position .with'the pedestals in raised position, and a. key controlled locking device associated with said operating lever for automatically locking said frame in the poarc in vertical position.

7. An elevating device for wheeled vesition which it assumes when the pedestals tion, each pedestal being provided with a cam at its bottom end, which includes an anti-friction roller, means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals, a rock shaft mounted on said frame intermediate to saidpairs of pedestals, arook armmn' said rock shaft associated with eaeh'frontand rear pedestal at one side of the frame, links connecting each pedestal with the associated rock arm, the links connectingeach of one pair of pedestals with the rock arms including means providing lost motion between thetpedestals and the rock arms, while the links connecting each of theother pair of pedestals with the rock arms prevent such lost motion, an operating lever fixed to said rock shaft, means for locking said lever in position withthe pedestals'in raised position, and a key controlled locking device associated with said operating lever for automatically locking said frame in the'position whichit assumes when the pedestals are in vertical osition. r

8. An elevating device for wheeled vehicles, in combination with a frame, front and rear pedestals connectedlin airs near the four corners of said frame, eac pedestal being hinged to swing longitudinally of the frame from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,

means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals, an operating member mounted in said vehicle, means connectin each of the two pairs of pedestals with sai operating member, the connecting means for the rear pair of pedestals including a lost motion device, while the connecting means for the forward pair of pedestals prevent 10st motion, andmeans for locking said op. erating member when the pedestals are in raised position.

9, An elevating device for wheeled vehicle's, in combination Wliilra frame, front and rear pedestals connected in pairs near said pedesta means limiting the said swinging movem nt of said pedestals, an operating mom er mounted in said vehicle, means connec ng each of the two pairs of pedestals with said operating member, a latch device securing said operatin lever in a position maintaining "said pe estals in their substantially horizontal position, said pedestals swinging downwardly upon release of said latch device until several of said pedestals engage the ground, and assume an inclined posltion and means operatively connecting all of id pedestals to ether in a manner permit ing ls to assume a substantially upright positionupon a rearward movement of the vehicle. i j

10. An elevating device for wheeled vehicles, in combination with a frame, fro

the four corners ofsaid frame each tal being hinged to swinglongitudina 1y of the frame from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,

means limiting the said swinging movement of said pedestals, a rock arm mountedon said frame intermediate said pairs of pedestals, links connecting each pairof pedestals'with said rockarm, means providing a lengthwise adjustability'of said links, the link connection for one pair of destals including a lost motiondevice, w ile the link connection for the other pair of ,edestals prevents lost motion, a lever arm or operating said rock arm, and means for loclrin said lever arm with the pedestals in raised position.

In testimony, that I'claim the foregoing r as my invention afiix my si aturein the presence of tw witnesses, this 14th day of October, A. D. 915. V

' WALTER C; BELLOWS.

T.H. A. Lrnnns SANFORD G. ltfcKmom. 

